Process of treating hydrocarbon oils



May 1; 1923. 1,453,479

J. P. PERSCH PROCESS OF TREATING HYDROCARBON OILS Filed Oct. 4, 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 JOHN p Pusan,

INVENTOR.

ms anonway.

May 1, 1923. 1,453,47Q J. P. PERSCH PROCESS 0F TREATING HYDROCARBON OILS Fi'led Oct. 4 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 52mm i -3 ms ATTORNE/ JOHN PPEKscn, INVENTOR.

Patented May. l, 123.

JOHN P. PERSCH, OF HOUSTON, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR f QNE-FIFTH TO BEN i TOLLES, 0F HO-HO-KUS, TEXAS.

PROCESS OF TREATING- HYDROCARBON OILS.

Application filed October 4, 1920.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN P. PnRsoH, a citizen of the United States, res1d1ng at Houston, Harris County, Texas, have in- 5 vented a certain new and useful Improvement in Processes of Treating Hydrocarbon ()ils, of which the following is a full, clear,

and exact description, such as w1 ll enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention pertains to an lmprovement in processes of treating petroleum, or other hydro-carbon compounds. It has especial application to the treatment of hydro-oarbon oils of heavy or high specific gravity, but In invention is of great value in treating ali grades of petroleum oils, both heavy and light.

An object of my invention 1s to provide a process for treating hydro-carbon oils, whereby the oils are made more fluid.

Another object is to devise a process of treating bituminous compounds with compressed air, or other gaseous fluid, heated or otherwise, and, by agitation of the material in contact with the said fluid, to break up the bituminous material and render the same less viscous and thereby better adapted for use.

Another object is to provide a process of treating petroleum oils whereby the mass of treated material may be rendered more fluid and whereby the more volatile constituents of the material may, at the same time, be separated from the mass and condensed for separate use.

Another object is to provide a process of the character indicated whereby large quantities of hydro-carbon oils may be treated in short periods of time, and at a low cost of operation.

It is often desirable to treat different grades of petroleum, especially oils of asphaltic base, so as to render the same more fluid. Some grades of low gravity crude petroleum are so heavy as to be unadapted for general use as fuel because of the viscosity of the oil. Even when such oil is heated, difiiculty is found in pumping the same through pipes for use, and large quantities are'unavailable as fuel because such oil cannot be handled successfully for sprayin under boilers.

any attempts have been made to treat such heavy oils so as to break up the mo- Serial No. 414,502.

lecular structure thereof and thus render the material more fluid. Elaborate and expensive processes for cracking the oil at high temperature have been evolved, but generally without success.

In my process, I contemplate agitating the oil in a closed tank or vat in contact with heated air or other similar aeriform fluid containing oxygen. This fiuid' is blown through the material after the fluid has been suitably heated and the contact of the heated fluid with the agitated material acts to. break up or decompose the complex hydro-carbon molecules composing the material. It is believed that some of the oxygen of the heated fluid combines with the hydro-carbon of the oil and acts to assist in the re-arrangement of the elements in the molecule composing the oil. Oil thus treated. will become more fluid and will remain so. Heavy oil thus treated for a period of one hour will have its specific gravity,increased by several degrees. Ex+ perimental tests with apparatus such as shown in the drawing show changes of from 3 to 6 Baum in the gravity of the oil, when treated for one hour.

It is also found that in the treatment of the oil, a large part of the lighter and more volatile constituents will be separated from the mass and may be condensed and drawn off for separate use. Thus the gasoline obtained as a by-product of my process will be an important factor in computing the cost of operation. This is especially so in the treatment of oils of higher specific gravity. High gravity oils will likewise be rendered more fluid by my process and will also give off a considerable percentage of gasoline or other volatile oils adapted for use in internal combustion engines and for other similar uses.

In the drawing herewith is disclosed an apparatus which may be used in carrying out my process. Like numerals of reference are therein applied to like parts in the different views. Fig. 1 is an assembly view showing, to some extent diagrammatically, an arrangement of the apparatus used. Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section through the agitating tank and Fig. 3 s a transverse section on the plane 3--3 of Fig. 1.

-I have be treated in contact with air the operation found that in agitating the oil to may best be accomplished by blowing the air through the oil. In order to obtain a close mixture of the oil With the air, I force the oil through small tubes, and, by an in ector effect, I draw the oil through said tubes with the air. This comminutes the oil and allows a large surface of exposure of the oil to the heated air so that the air may act upon the oil to best advantage. My aim is to bring the oil into as close and ntimate contact with the heated air as possible and the device which I contemplate using is disclosed in the drawings.

With particular reference to Fig. 1, the arrangement of the apparatus employed will be seen. I place the oil to be treated in a closed tank or vat 1, having an upper lateral inlet 2 leading from some source of supply,

by means of which the oil may be run into the tank. The oil is agitated in the tank by means of compressed air which enters an adjacent pressure tank 5 through an inlet pipe 4, connected with an air compressor not shown. The compressed air passes by way of a coil 6 in a furnace 7 and pipe 8 to branching inlet pipes 3 connected with the tank 1. An outlet pipe 9 for the treated material is connected to the lower end of the tank, this pipe being ordinarily closed by means of a valve 10. I

In Figs. 2 and 3 is represented a more detailed showing of the agitating tank and its connections. The tank 1 is preferably cylindrical in shape with a conical lower end 11 terminating in the pipev 12, which is connected to the outlet pipe by the valve chamber 10.

Within the tank 1 are upright pipes 13, extending from the lower end of the tank along the sides thereof to the upper end where they are recurved at 14 to discharge downwardly into the tank. Three of these pipes are shown but, manifestly, a larger or smaller number may be employed as desired.

The inlet pipes 3, 3, 3, which discharge the compressed air or other heated fluid into the tank, are connected to the lower end of the tank and are controlled by hand valves 16, 16, 16. A fourth pipe 17 is connected to the airpipe 8 and discharges the air through an upwardly directed nozzle 19 into the lower end of the pipe 12 of'the tank. This pipe is controlled by a valve 18. The pipes 3, 3, 3, terminate in upwardly directed nozzles 15, 15, 15, within the tank. Ihese nozzles extend into the lower ends of the pipes 13 a short distance, as shown in the drawing. Thus when fluid under pressure is discharged through the nozzles 15 into the pipes 13 there will result an injector action tending to draw the oil to be treated into the pipe 13 and by agitating it in the pipe it will be broken up into minute particles and carried \up and .discharged back on to the upper surface of the material in the tank. Thus a meagre circulation of the oil in the tank will result. Small quantities of the oil at a time will be acted upon in the pipes 13', this action proceeding continuously, until the whole mass has been thoroughly treated. A glass gauge 20 may be connected to the tank if desired for the purpose of reading the head of oil in the tank.

In the treatment of the oil with the heated air, as described, considerable quantities of the more volatile constituents of the oil are separated from the mass and will pass upwardly out of the tank 1 along with the agitating fluid. Thus, where compressed air is used, the air and gas arising from the oil will escape upwardly through a central pipe 21 at the upper end of the tank. This pipe is connected to a dome-shaped chamber 23, which tapers upwardly and is connected to an outer shell, which supports the same by means of a reduced extension 24 on the upper end thereof. The condensing chamber 23 is surrounded by an outer container 25, preferably cylindrical in shape, walls of which and the condensing chamber 23 is provided a cooling chamber 26. A coolng fluid, such as cold water, is circulated 1nto the lower end of the chamber 26 by means of a pipe 27, controlled by a hand valve 28. At the upper end of the container 25 is a reduced extension having a lateral outlet pipe 29, which may also be controlled by a valve. This outlet pipe furnishes an outlet for the cooling fluid after it has been heated by passing over the surface of the condensing chamber 23.

As will be noted from the drawing, the pipe 21 extends upwardly into the condens- 1ng chamber for a short distance, thus providing an annular pan or container 30 at the lower end ofthe condensing chamber, above the bottom 22 of which is secured an outlet pipe 31. the chamber 23 will run down the walls of the chamber and gather in the container 30 and may run off laterally through the pipe 31, this pipe being controlled by the hand valve 34.

When it is desired to separate the condensed volatile matter from the mass of oil, said volatile matter may be run back into the tank by means of a by-pass 32 connected to the lower end of the pan 30 and discharged into the upper end of the tank.

This pipe 32 may be controlled by a hand valve '33. In case the gasoline is run back through the pipe 32 into the vat, the valve 34 in the pipe 31 will be closed. The compressed air used in agitating the material -will then pass outwardly through the pipe between the.

Vapors condensed within placed within the tank 1, and the pipe 9 at the lower end will be closed by means of the valve 10. Air from a compressor will be forced into the pressure tank until the desired pressure has been obtained, and will then be passed through the coil 6 in the fur nace 7, and properly heated. It will then be passed through the pipes 35 and the discharge nozzles in the pipes 13, so as to cause a circulation of the oil through the pipes 13, bringing the oil into contact .with the heated fluid in the manner previously described. The air entering the pipe 12 through the inlet 17 will bubble upwardly through the oil and will prevent the lodging of untreated material in the lower end of the tank.

The volatile matter separating during this action will be condensed within the chamber 23 and flow downwardly into the lower part thereof and, if it is desired to separate this gasoline from the mass of oil, the valve 34 will be opened and the condensed gasoline will run off to some receptacle where it may be stored. In this case the valve 36 will be closed and the air'will find an exit with the gasoline.

In case, however, the gasoline is'passed back into the tank 1, the valve 34 will be closed and the valves 36 and 33 will be opened. The air will then escape through the pipe and the condensed gasoline will run back through the by-pass 32 into the tank. It is found that in thus treating petroleum oils, the heated air projected through the pipes 13 and acting as an injector to draw quantities of the air upwardly through the pipes will bring the oil into intimate contact with the heated air in such manner that a chemical change takes place in the molecules composing the oil. It is thought that the complex combinations of hydrocarbon within the molecules are broken up and re-combined in different proportions and it is probable that the oxygen -in the air assists in the re-arrangement of the molecules so that the oil becomes more fluid and when cool will remain in the more fluid state. Thus heavy and viscous material will be made available for ordinary use as fuel and the lighter grades of oil will be made still lighter and thus available for uses to which it could not previously he put. The quantity of gasoline or other volatile matter separated from the oil during this process is also of material advanta e and must be considered an important feature connected therewith.

It is my belief that when heated air is forced into intimate contact with small portions of the mass of oil that certain portions of the oil are oxidized, the oxygen of the air being more readily and easily assimilated and for that reason the viscosity of the material is reduced.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Let ters Patent is:

1. The process of reducing the viscosity of hydrocarbon oils consisting in placing the oil to be treated in a large container, forcing a gaseous fluid through a nozzle into the oil to atomize the oil at the nozzle, confining the atomized oil and fluid in an open ended pipe and causing the mixed fluid and oil to pass through -the pipe whereby the fluid is brought into intimate contact with the conseeutive small portions of the mass of oil in a restricted space, conducting away the gaseous fluid after it passes through the pipe and delivering the oil back into the main body of oil and continuing the operation until the whole mass of oil is acted upon and its fluidity increased.

2. The process of reducing the viscosity of hydrocarbon oils, consisting in placing the oil to be treated in a large container, forcing a heated gaseous fluid through a contracted nozzle into the bottom of the oil in the container to atomize the oil at the nozzle, confining the atomized oil and fluid in an open ended pipe and causing the fluid to pass through the pipe with the atoms of oil carried thereby, whereby the fluid is brought into intimate contact with small portions of the mass of oil in a restricted space, conducting away the gaseous fluid after it passes through the pipe and delivering the oil back into the main body of oil and continuing the operation until the whole mass of oil is rendered sufliciently fluid.

3. The process of reducing the viscosity of hydrocarbon oils consisting in placing the oil to be treated in a large container, heating air and forcing it through a nozzle into the oil to atomize the oil at the nozzle and to heat it, confining the atomized. oil and air in an open ended pipe and causing the air to pass through the pipe with the atoms of oil carried thereby, whereby the heated air is brought into intimate contact with small portions of the mass of oil in a restricted space, conducting away the air and delivering the oil back into the main body of oil and continuing the operation until the whole mass of oil is reduced to the desired state of fluidity.

4. The process of reducing the viscosity of hydrocarbon oils and separating the volatile constituents, consisting in placing the oil to be treated in a large container, forcing a gaseous fluid through a nozzle into the oil to atomize the oil at the nozzle, confining the atomized oil and fluid in an open ended pipe and causing the fluid to pass through the pipe with the atoms of oil carried thereby whereby the fluid is brought into intimate contact with the consecutive small portions of the mass of oil in a restricted space, thus rendering the oil more fluid and separating from it some of its volatile constituents, conducting away the gaseous fluid, after it passes through the pipe and also conducting away the volatile constituents of the oil and delivering the remaining oil back into the main body of oil and continuing the operation until the whole mass of oil is reduced to the desired fluidity.

5. The process of reducing theviscosity oi hydrocarbon oils and separating the volatile constituents consisting in placing the oil to be treated in a large container, forcing a heated gaseous fluid through a nozzle into the oil to atomize the oil at the nozzle, confining the'atomized oil and fluid in an open'ended pipe and causing the fluid to pass through the pipe with the atoms of oil carried thereby, whereby the fluid is brought into intimate contact With the consecutive small portions of the mass of oil in a restrict ed space, conducting away the gaseous fluid and volatile constituents of the oil after they are passed through the pipe, condens-- ing the volatile constituents and delivering the remainder of the oil back into the main:

body of oil and continuing the operation until the Whole of the oil is reduced to the desired fluidity.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto affix my 

